Angioid Streaks In The Retina
These images are pictures of the retina inside the back of the eye where the thin layer separating the retina and the tiny blood vessels underneath it has been compromised (bruch’s membrane). The result are the lines seen in the picture called angioid steaks or lacquer cracks. Over 50% of the time the causes is unknown but there are a number of systemic diseases associated with angiod streaks.
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a genetic disorder that affects the elastic fibers of connective tissue is known to damage connective tissue throughout the body including bruch’s membrane. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is another genetic disorder of collagen that not only effects the body but the eye a number of possible ways including angiod streaks.
A number of other diseases have causal connections with angiod streaks including chiari syndrome type 0 and 1.
Angiod streaks can lead to sight loss from blood vessels growing through the compromised layer and bleeding into the eye.
Image courtesy of NEI staff clinician Catherine Meyerle, M.D., and NEI ophthalmic imaging specialist Michael Bono, B.A., C.R.A., C.O.T.
